A draft decree for the implementation of parts of the Law on Telecommunications 2023, issued by Vietnam’s Ministry of Communications, if passed, would see satellite internet providers required to partner with domestically licensed telecommunications providers, VN Express is reporting. The draft then foresees ground stations through which internet access delivered via satellite is filtered before being passed on to consumers.
The MIC has argued that ground stations are necessary for information security as well as to provide a mechanism by which services can be suspended by the authorities. This would, however, notably limit the value of satellite internet services with one of their biggest benefits being their ability to access remote communities directly from space.